COMBAT SPORT

Is fortunately not gurning, tattooed baldies sweating on one another in a chickenwire cage but the far more edifying Imperial War Museum North's, In The Spotlight: Sport and War exhibition (open now, until January, iwm.org.uk), a fascinating examination of sport and the military. Here then is the football presented, at the end of the Great War, to keen escaper and organiser of football matches at the Holzminden POW camp, Major Jack Shaw. He helped build a tunnel through which 30 men had escaped but unfortunately collapsed on the man just in front of Shaw. In his honour the ball was signed by 450 British officers. The exhibition also features posters and intriguing ephemera, including a trench football game, in which a goal is scored by steering a ball past German generals looking humiliated – Helmuth von Moltke gloriously nutmegged! – into a despairing-looking Kaiser's mouth. Fantastic stuff.

BROADCASTING BATTLE

Hots up as BT Sport offers its full opening week of live TV – a warm-up for its first Premier League match on 17 August, which is Liverpool v Stoke, so unsurprisngly they are showing Liverpool's last pre-season friendlies against Valerenga on Wednesday (6pm) and Celtic on Saturday (5pm). Elsewhere, there's Rio Ferdinand's testimonial against Sevilla (Friday, 7pm); Arsenal v Galatasaray in the Emirates Cup (Sunday, 4pm); Women's Super League as Bristol play Liverpool (Saturday, 7.30pm) and the WTA Rogers Cup in Toronto (from Monday).

ARTIST IN ACTION

Comes in the form of the Observer's Paul Trevillion, of You Are The Ref fame, who also brings his unique artwork to cricket in our You Are The Umpirestrip. He demonstrates his skills to Phil Tufnell on the One Show on Friday (BBC1, 7pm) at Lord's, where they discuss cricket, art and the Ashes. A chance to see the man behind the art at work, quite literally as he sketches and chats with The Cat.

EXTRA ASHES

As England's Women take on Australia in an attempt to regain their urn next Sunday (Wormsley, ball-by-ball commentary: bbc.co.uk/5live). They begin with a tour match against England A but while in recent years the contest has been but a single Test, leading to some conservatism in tactics, these Ashes will be decided across the Test (worth six points), three ODIs and three T20s (all two points), which has the capacity and longevity for a properly engrossing series.

BALLS IN BOWLS

Are picked in the crucial lucky dip for the Champions League and Europa League play-offs. Man United, Man City and Chelsea already have a spot in the former and could be joined by Arsenal and Celtic (Eurosport, Friday, 10.45am), while Spurs and Swansea are looking to be alongside Wigan in the latter (Friday, noon).

SILVERSTONE BIKES DOUBLE

Begins with the World Superbikes ( Sunday, Eurosport, race 1: 12noon; race 2: 3.30pm), where Britain's Tom Sykes, runner-up by half a point last year, looks to return to the top of the Championship table at his home race. Then continues with a chance to watch Cal Crutchlow, who has just signed as a factory rider for Ducati, at the Silverstone round of the MotoGP on 1 September. To win a pair of roving Grandstand tickets to the race visit: guardian.com/sport.